Joint arthroplasty is a surgical procedure by which a diseased and/or damaged natural joint is replaced by a prosthetic joint. Patellofemoral arthroplasty is a type of joint arthroplasty wherein the anterior compartment of a patient's knee, or portion thereof, is replaced with one or more prosthetic components. Additionally, in some cases, the patient's patella may be replaced by an orthopaedic prosthesis.
Typical patellofemoral arthroplasty procedures may include replacing a patient's femoral trochlea, and in some cases, one or both femoral condyles with prosthetic components. Typical orthopaedic surgical procedures require the entire anterior femur to be resectioned to allow overlay of the prosthetic joint components. However, the prosthetic joint components may not replace the entire volume of resectioned bone. Additionally, many patellofemoral arthroplasty procedures and instrumentation reference off of the intramedullary canal of the patient's femur, which resultantly compromises the intrameduallary canal.